>I had a chat yesterday with the owner of one of the largest hardware/networking companies on Long Island,
>He told me that his company can't sell a workstation with Win 8 on it to anyone but a home consumer.
>Corporations, gov't agencies etc, all demand Win 7. Win 8 is simply a non-starter, period.
>So his supplier does a Win 7 "downgrade" in order to make the H/W sale.
>MS counts that as a Win 8 sale.
>So this debacle is real.

After working with PC’s since the S-100, I have noticed a few things. People do not like change. However the release of a new OS is an important event. Taking the customer into consideration is also important. There is a learning curve.

A new OS is released and you expect technical improvements. Windows 8 provides this and is great at background tasks that are so important. However, the user interface does not allow for a smooth workflow. So PC sales are down and analysis attribute this to a number of factors. One such factor is the user interface of Windows 8.

Going from CPM/MPM to windows 286 and 386 was interesting. Going to MS DOS was simple – it was just like CPM. Windows 3 would crash and burn often and 3.11 was more stable. Each offering of a Microsoft OS meant a bit of retraining. Time will tell the place reserved for Windows 8.

I recently purchased a new computer and had Windows 7 installed. It is fast and stable. I chose W7 because W8 did not allow for a smooth workflow. Perhaps the gamers and tablet users can enjoy it. New technology has interested me since I was a kid and that is why I went into electronic engineering. Perhaps I am getting too old for all this new stuff? :)

There is some irony to speaking in negative terms about W8 on a Visual FoxPro forum. Visual Foxpro is obsolete and there will never be another release. We are using a product from the dinosaur age (technically speaking) a product that is appreciated by a few die hards who love it and for good reason! As we move into the sunset we will see what becomes of all this. :)